Fuck. This just got a whole lot more complicated.
Kinzer’s expression was serious, rigid.
“What’s going on?” Treycore asked.
“Hayde fucking murdered Maggie,” Kinzer announced. “That’s why he’s wearing that collar. He’s a fucking traitor.”
Kid glanced at Kinzer for a moment before his gaze shifted to Hayde. Hayde could tell by his expression that Kid was putting the missing pieces together, realizing that Hayde had lied about the events that had transpired and what he’d claimed had happened that night.
How the hell was he supposed to get out of that?
“Wait. Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Kid asked.
Hayde pushed to his feet. “That night at Veylo’s mansion, when we were trying to escape. After you got out, I killed Maggie, and Kinzer walked in and saw me.”
Kid looked at Hayde like he’d lost his mind. Hayde stared him down, trying to remind him of his threat—that he was going to make him pay if he ruined everything, if he prevented him from keeping her secret.
Kid shook his head and rose to his feet beside him.
Treycore grabbed Kid’s arm. “Kid, I think you should step away.”
Kid yanked his arm free. “No, I’m not moving! Oh my God, this is all so fucking stupid.”
“What?” Kinzer asked.
“Hayde’s lying,” Kid said.
“I fucking knew it!”
“Kid!” Hayde said, grabbing his arm. Hayde heard Treycore growl, and before he had a chance to do anything else, Treycore tackled Hayde from the side. They went flying through the air, into the window behind the love seat. The sound of shattering glass surrounded him. They flew out the window and barreled into the rail outside before breaking it in two and falling into the yard, the security light on the porch turning on as they wrestled about.
While Treycore straddled Hayde and started laying blows into him, the front door to the cabin opened, and Kid and Kinzer hurried out.
“Treycore, no!” Kid called out, but Treycore didn’t seem to hear him—or didn’t care—because his fists slammed into Hayde’s face, one after the other. His attack was powerful, brutal, relentless. And considering how fucking pissed he was, and how strong, Hayde wondered if he would survive the assault.
“You want to fight someone, flit? You fight me!” Treycore cried out.
***
It serves him fucking right, Kinzer thought.That bastard. That fucking monster. How dare he lay his hands on Kid like that?
Hayde hadn’t posed a risk since they’d begun their quest, but Kinzer didn’t trust him around his friends, not around Kid, considering what he’d done to Maggie. He understood Kid’s confusion. After all, Hayde had been on their side—or so he believed—when all that shit had gone down at the mansion.
“Stop it!” Kid shouted again as he grabbed Treycore’s shoulders to pry him off Hayde.
“Get back, Kid.” Treycore stopped his assault, and it was clear by the way Hayde glanced around, he was delirious. His face was covered in blood as he looked around like he was struggling to concentrate because of the attack.
“No, everyone fucking stop!” Kid continued. “Hayde didn’t do anything, Kinzer!”
“He killed Maggie,” Kinzer told him. “You heard it from his own fucking mouth.”
“Kid, don’t you fucking dare!” Hayde shouted, fighting to speak the words.
The way Kid looked down at Hayde, it was like he felt sorry for him. “I can’t watch this,” he said.
“Don’t you do this,” Hayde said. “Don’t you dare do this. Say a damn thing, and I will cut your throat myself. This isn’t right, and this isn’t what Maggie would have wanted.”
Treycore punched him again, and Hayde called out, “Good fucking shit.”
